Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Have you ever
thought about collaborating with another author? If so, who would you pick, if
you could pick anyone?

In a previous life, I would occasionally be involved in collaborative
writing projects. But it was business writing, either consulting reports or
proposals for new business. I remember one large submission for a multi-million
dollar systems project that required at least ten if not more people, each
writing a section of the multi-volume bid. As the proposal manager I also held
the editing pen, so not only did I have to ensure that everything made sense
and was well written, but I also had to make certain there was an overall consistency
in the writing, in addition to the fun task of pulling all the bits together by
writing the conclusion and the executive summary. Since most sections of a proposal or report
were fairly self-contained, it was relatively easy to write them collaboratively
and given the size of some of these papers, it was the only way to get it
completed within the proscribed time period.

Fiction writing however is an entirely different matter. Everything
is inter-related. Seldom if ever does anything stand on its own within a novel.
Characters and their unique voices interact with each other as they wander from
chapter to chapter as the story line unfolds from the hook of the opening
sentence until the satisfying sigh of the last one.

I can’t for the life of me conceive of how more than one
person can write a novel and live to tell the tale, so to speak. But they do
and some are very successful at it, such as the all pervasive James Patterson,
who publishes I don’t know how many block-busters a year. I believe the
approach he uses is to hire someone to write the story based on his outline.
Once completed he takes over the final editing pen to shape it into his style
of writing.

Other collaborative writing adventures with which I am
familiar are family affairs. Curiously they involve a parent and a child, like
the mother and son duo of Charles Todd or the mother and daughter duo of
Victoria Abbott. I believe Michael Slade is a father and a daughter duo, although
he has collaborated with his wife…hmmm wonder if they are still married… and
also his law partners. Perhaps the family connection makes for like minds and
thus a similarity in writing style and story telling.

I do know of a couple of ‘friends’ partnerships, one of
which is successful, Sparkle Abbey, while the other has hit a rocky road. It
likely isn’t as easy to sort out differences between friends as it would be between
family members, because let’s face it, there are going to be some knock ‘em
down, drag ‘em out differences that can lead to splattered coffee and slammed
doors.

I understand in most of these collaborations the writing is divvied
up either through taking on different characters or different subplots within
the overall story line, rather than both working on the same chapters at the
same time.

But have I ever considered doing a collaboration? You
guessed it. My answer would be a resounding ‘NO’. I can barely get along with myself while
writing a book, let alone having to get along with another writer. I’m afraid I
like the writer’s solitude too much. The thought of breaking my train of
thought to share it with another while I am writing would have me shuddering in
my moccasins. I would think to be successful a collaborative writing venture would
require a well thought out and developed outline before the writing even began
and the discipline to stick to it. As an acknowledged pantser, this is way
beyond my capacity. Anytime I have tried an outline, I have diverged from it
before the first chapter is finished.

I wish all those collaborative novelists out there much
success, but this is one writer who’s going to continue to go it alone.

What about you? Have you ever considered writing a novel with
another person?

Monday, May 30, 2016

Happy Memorial Day! For all those not out grilling or at the beach (perhaps it's raining where you are--?), here's a post I wrote about collaboration several years ago. Enjoy!

by Meredith Cole

I used to direct films, and I had to collaborate with other creative
folks to get the film done. I know, I know. People love to believe there
are "auteurs" who do everything on a film, but they're few and far
between. And directors have a lot less power than you might think they
do to shape a picture. For every Orson Welles, there are thousands of
Alan Smithees toiling in the trenches.

In film you have
to work well with others when you rely on so many other people to help
you create your vision. There are cinematographers, costume designers,
lighting designers, set designers, actors, writers, and producers... And
you have to find a way to get their best work and create the best film
that you can. All this and stay under budget.

When I
was done wracking up huge amounts of debt on my credit card, I moved on
to working in TV. I produced and wrote ads for cable shows for about 12
years. I worked on shows like Iron Chef, A Baby Story, Ice Road
Truckers, and Next Food Network Star. I had to work with Creative
Directors who were former producers and sometimes frustrated by the lack
of creativity in their new job. I would occasionally work on a project
for days only to be told to scrap it and start over. So I became a fast
writer and developed a thick skin.

But with novels, the
writer is everything: the costume designer, set designer and
cinematographer. They don't have to collaborate with anyone. I was
surprised when I got my first notes on my first book from my editor.
They were so polite and tactful. "You may wish to..." or "I would
suggest..." I was an auteur--or at least an author--at last! And being a
smart one, I followed most of my very experienced and talented editor's
suggestions. And my copy editor's. And my agent's.

I
tried once to write a screenplay with a friend. We got it done and made
it into a film, but I always thought it lacked something. A unique
voice, perhaps? Our voices became so mixed that they became slightly
schizophrenic. In the end I felt like his best work was missing and so
was mine. That experience has made me cautious about collaborating on a
very personal writing project again.

So would I be willing to collaborate with a mega-selling author and
share credit for a book? Who knows! James Patterson certainly hasn't
asked yet, so I'm not so sure I couldn't be "bought." After all, I used
to work in advertising...

Friday, May 27, 2016

Do you use social media to market your books, and if so, do you think it’s made a difference?

by Paul D. Marks

Yes. And Oh yes.

Facebook:

I went kicking and screaming onto Facebook a few years ago. Publicist and friend Diana James “gently” suggested that I should go on Facebook.

“I don’t want to see pictures of what people had for breakfast…or worse,” I said.

So, after much cajoling from Diana I took the dreaded step and signed onto FB. At first I didn’t know what to do, how to use it. I was an evil lurker. Of course, since I had few FB friends I didn’t have much to lurk at. So I’d check in every few days or so, still not knowing what to do, but gaining a few friends here, a few friends there.

And eventually I started posting. Don’t remember what those early posts were. But not too long after I started on Facebook I began to find my way. I began to post things that meant something to me or that I related to. Things like pix of my breakfast: cereal can be fun and entertaining pop art. And pix of my scars – want to see them? Just kidding.

Actually, I started posting things about noir and film noir and putting up “Film Noir Alerts” when I knew a noir movie was coming on television. Also stuff about mystery and noir writing, Raymond Chandler, Jim Thompson, et al. And I started posting about Los Angeles and LA history, something I’m very much into on many levels. I began to be known as the LA Guy or the Noir Guy. People I’d never met in person would come up to me at conferences and other events and say, “You’re the Noir Guy”. I had to plead guilty.

And then when White Heat came out I put up some posts about that. And other people shared them. And I think it did help get the book known, get reviews and make sales. But the key is, as everyone says, not to only push your books. People get majorly turned off by that. Be a friend. Be part of the community. Comment and share other people’s posts. Participate.

Twitter:

Twitter’s another ballgame altogether. A ballgame where it’s impossible to see the ball and more impossible to know the rules. Like: Don’t use more than three hashtags. Fine. Uh, now what the hell is a hashtag? And where do I find the hashtags that apply to what I’m posting? Can I make up my own hashtags? Would you like some ketchup with your hashtags?

Twitter, to me, was a mess when I first signed up. Tweets would fly by faster than a speeding bullet. I couldn’t figure out how to use it. How do I make – uh, get – friends? I mean followers. Who/how do I follow someone? How to do I participate in a conversation? And HOW THE HELL do I say anything in 140 characters? And DOUBLE HOW THE HELL do I say anything at all when I’m retweeting and now I have 3 characters left to add my own comment to? It’s enough to make you batty.

And then I heard the bugle. The cavalry was on the way led by Captain Tweetdeck and Colonel Hootsuite. Oh no, more things to worry about. But no, these were good things. And the light shined down.

Hootsuite and Tweetdeck are “social media management systems” – say that five times with a mouth full of cereal. They help you organize Twitter, the tweets, the followers, everything. So I signed up for both and magically Twitter became manageable. And I began to use it.

You can create lists and put different people or groups (like magazines, writers, friends, publishers, etc.) on different lists and then put them in different columns. These columns allow you to see things more clearly and at a more even and manageable pace. And it makes all the difference in the world (at least to me) in terms of being able to use Twitter (though you can manage other programs on these systems as well).

A small part of my Hootsuite Dashboard.

I find that Tweetdeck is good for some things and Hootsuite for others. So I use both. But it’s too much of a “lesson” to go into here and explain the intricacies of each. Suffice to say, they both make Twitter much more user friendly and once you get the hang of them you’ll be able to use Twitter to much better advantage. But like with FB or any social media, you shouldn’t use it only to promote your books. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do some promotion. Just have fun with it.

In closing – other social media & tying it up:

There’s about 33 million different social media. I’m also on Tumblr, Google+ and Pinterest, and use them to varying degrees. For a while I had been doing a fair amount on Tumbler, but nothing there lately. It’s not that I don’t like it, it just comes down to the time spent and it adds up. Some other social media that I signed up for I really never did much with. There’s just so many to choose from. But you have to pick two or three, maybe a couple more. Because you just can’t focus on all these things. It’s too hard to follow people and too hard to keep up with your own accounts and you’ll never have time to write.

Have FB and Twitter made me a NY Times Bestseller? No. But they have definitely helped get me more readers and connect with people with similar interests, which is more than I could have done by going on a cross country booking signing tour …and it costs a lot less. And I figure now there’s not a state in the country that I couldn’t have lunch with someone if I happened to be passing through – and if I do I’ll be sure to post the photo of the meal. Hell, there’s several countries on different continents that I could have lunch with someone I know from social media.

So yes, in answer to the question today – yes yes yes. Social media is great. I’m a total convert. So, uh, here’s what I had for breakfast.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Everyone back from rushing out to the bookshop because of that irresistible message?

Then I'll begin.

Q: Do you use social media to market your books and, if so, how do you know if it's working?

A: No.

I got a Facebook author page five years ago because my editor told me to (and I'm a wimp), then I got a Facebook person page because friends kept asking why they couldn't tag me. I got a Twitter account round about the same time because . . . I can't remember why. Probably someone I needed to be in touch with didn't use Facebook.

And don't get me wrong: I post news, events, trade reviews, new jacket designs and some truly thrilling pictures of my laptop and bundles of printed paper on the author page. Stirring stuff. If someone should stumble across my website and click the Fb button, there are writer-y things to see .

But it's the other page where I feel at home and spend most time. On my personal Fb page I talk about the monster zucchini I'm accidentally growing if I'm not careful, that time I hosed my screens with the windows open, that other time I reverse parked into the no-parking sign, the Chewbacca mask lady, and why I can't spell beureu beaureu "bureaucracy". No faking.

It's not marketing though, is it? It's just life. I love that even though I'm thousands of miles from my family and I don't see them for ten months at a stretch, I know what my great niece's birthday cake was this year and that my mum's wisteria is blooming. When I talk to my sisters on the phone, they know how I've been and I know how they've been and we can just witter on a load of mince (like we always did) without having to do a massive catch up.

It's exactly the same with friends I first met on Facebook or only know on Facebook - we just hang out, keep up with one another, share all of life's rich strangeness. We soothe sorrows when the world delivers a kicking (as it does), share joy when the gods smile on us (as they can) and let one another rant when only ranting will do.

And, because I'm a writer, a lot of my Facebook friends are other writers or the blessed readers (thank you!) as well as the occasional scientist-in-law. So it's inevitable that we talk about the books we love, the books we're reading, looking forward to, have just bought, are saving for a long flight . . . And almost as inevitably some of the books some of us are reading are books others of us have written. But again, it's not marketing, is it? It's just the love of books. (And the Chewbacca mask lady.)

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Do you use social media to market your books, and if so, do
you think it’s made a difference?

The "public" me - currently in??

When this blog appears I’ll be heading from Swansea, Wales
(where I’ll have enjoyed a few days with Mum and my sister having just attended
CrimeFest in Bristol, England) to Toronto, Canada where I’ll be attending the
Crime Writers of Canada AGM, the Arthur Ellis Awards Banquet and the Bony
Blithe Awards. If it weren’t for social media, I’d have been hiding in a deep,
dark hole for a couple of weeks without having had the chance to keep up to
date with what’s going on in the world of mystery writing, reading and the
interconnectivity that has become my “norm”.

I use the digital universe to stay connected, build relationships
with fellow authors, with readers and many other different groups of people
24/7/365. It’s a part of my life. In the nicest possible way, I hope it’s not
the most important part of my life; I think reality should fill that role, and
there’s already a big chunk of my time that’s spent in the imagined worlds I
create as a fiction author, so I strive for a balance.

Do I use social media to market my books? Absolutely. Do I
think it’s made a difference? You’re
reading this in the digital universe, so you’d probably be better positioned
than I would be to tell me if my presence here impacts the possible success of
my work. I hope it does. I hope that taking the time to connect with people
around the world brings my work to their attention in such a way that they are
engaged and intrigued enough to give it a go. I’ve “met” a huge number of
people this way who I know read my books, and (thank you!) write to tell me
they have done so and have enjoyed meeting my characters. When I’m sitting at
my desk tapping away at my keyboard all alone (save the company of my lovely
Gabby and Poppy – the world’s best chocolate Labradors!) knowing there are real
people reading my work helps a great deal.

The "real" me, at work in the garden with my dogs

I’m happy with my own company, and that of my fictional
characters. But it’s good to know real people in the real world are enjoying
the people and the worlds I create – even when they use digital means to tell
me so. Thanks to all those of you who connect with me out there in the ether –
you’re all part of my REAL life.

Cathy Ace writes the WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries (book
#2 THE CASE OF THE MISSING MORRIS DANCER was published in hardback in February,
and book #1 THE CASE OF THE DOTTY DOWAGER was published in trade paperback on
March 1st) and the Cait Morgan Mysteries (book #7 THE CORPSE WITH THE GARNET
FACE was published in paperback in April). Find out more about Cathy and her
work, and sign up for her newsletter at http://cathyace.com/

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Do you use social media to market your books, and if so, do
you think it makes a difference? ...by RM

As my first book only came out in March, I have no data to
offer, so I will talk about whether social media convinces ME to buy books.

The answer is no. But maybe only because my To-Read list is
so long that I don't go looking for more to add to it.

Wait, though. My reading list is long, yet I do keep buying
books. So what's the draw? Never (so far at least) is it because a writer on
Facebook or Twitter has given me a powerful hook-line, flashed a beautiful
cover, and told me I should read their book. Never works!

I'm tempted to try a new author because I've met them, more
often in person, such as at a writer's festival, or heard of them through book
reviews or word of mouth. Or if I hear a good radio interview, ninety percent
of the time that makes me at least want
to read the book. If I don't follow through it's only because of limited time and
money.

Bottom line is: interviews, reviews, and meeting the writer
in person is what sells me.

So what do I get out of social media if not marketing?

I agree with Susan that posting on Twitter is like throwing
a pooh-stick into a stream (she called it a riptide actually). Away it goes and
vanishes. Facebook is a lot the same. Will anybody buy my book if my posts are
wise or witty? Probably not. My gut feeling is that the time I spend on social
media really isn't cost effective, if all I'm after is to sell books.

But I've discovered that's not the main reason at all.

In the beginning, last year sometime, I seriously disliked
this feeling of being trussed and prodded onto this thing my publisher called my
social media platform, or what I considered a gang-plank to hell. For a while it
caused me such grief I even considered mutiny. But I stuck with it. I learned
to not take it too seriously, and then actually to enjoy it. The turning point was
when I was told it's like a ... party. You walk into a room full of people,
strike up a conversation here and there, don't worry too much about what you're
missing. Have fun, be nice. Get to know people. Then say too-da-loo and duck
out. Probably nobody will notice, but that's okay too.

It's an art, and I've got much to learn. How do you use
links and hashtags to best advantage, for starters? What are the critical SEO algorithms
to ride? What is an algorithm? What is SEO?

To me, social media can be a time waster one day, invaluable
the next. I've learned a lot. I've discovered many interesting articles and am
following some great newsletters. It can be an excellent resource pool. I cheer
for friends' books launched and goal posts reached. Cockatiel videos can be very
funny, and there's no end to household tips (use bulldog clips to manage your
USB cables!) or inspirational writerly quotes. I've made connections, and maintained
them, and I'm sure that going forward I'll learn how to use the media more
effectively.

These days I've fallen off my platform a little, due to the
need to get back to the real world of making cold hard cash, not fairy stickers.

Also I've learned that been introverted applies to online
parties as well, and I need some time out.

That's about all I can say about it right now. But I've
remembered there is actually one book I bought entirely due to Twitter
promotion, and that is a guide on how to use Pinterest, because I haven't got a
clue. Still haven't, but I haven't got around to reading it yet either. It's at the
bottom of my list!

Monday, May 23, 2016

Q: Do you use social
media to market your books, and if so, do you think it’s made a difference?

- from Susan

This is a hard question and (spoiler alert) one I can’t
really answer. But let me break it down and take it in parts:

Do I use social
media?

Yes, I cop to that. More than I should. Facebook is
addictive and I have an addictive personality. I have soooo many friends on FB
and would have so many more if I accepted the friend requests from the hundred
or so manly looking guys dressed in army fatigues who apparently are tabula rasa when it comes to any details
in their lives except having dogs or young children they can be photographed
with.

Do I use it to market
my books?

Yes, in that I mention new books, very occasionally share a
particularly good professional review, and invite- no, beg – people to come to book readings.
Using Twitter is like getting swept away in a riptide. You just dive in
somewhere and then kick your way to safety as soon as you can. For me, five
minutes a day is it, but I do try to let it be known I am an author and do have
allegedly witty novels on the market about art and crime. Pinterest? Yes,
Hilary Davidson gave a room full of authors a challenge a few years ago: A
Pinterest page for every book. So, I do it. It’s fun and a complete distraction
from writing. No one has ever said, “I loved your photos of Santa Fe so much I
had to run out and find a coy of Murder in the abstract.” No one. Instagram is beyond me so far. Blogs (here and occasionally
on my own site and often as a guest on other writers’) all the time. Some
delightful back and forth. No rush on Book Passage’s stock.

Do I think it makes a
different in marketing efforts?

I observe that a good number of people (to whom I am forever
grateful) show up at most book events if I’ve put out the word on social media.
When people show up, they mostly buy a book. But does the social media I
initiate and control influence anyone to search out and buy the book on their
own? I have no idea, none at all. No bookstore tells me here’s been a flurry of
interest about any of my books after a brilliant Tweet or a few new of photos
on a Pinterest board. I don’t get nominated for awards because everyone knows
my name and the title of my newest book by the time the ballots come out. And,
in truth, I think the honest answer is no one knows where in all the
non-writing activity authors have to do is the magic key to success.

I look at some of the most successful crime writers in my
circle and what I see is they work hard at everything
– from research to writing, to cleanly edited published books, to book tours,
to Facebook posts, and contests, and charming book events – everything.

So my answer to the unanswerable question is: Who knows, but
who’s ready to go silent and see what happens?

Q&A with Criminal Minds!

Question of the Week

Each week the crime fiction authors of Criminal Minds respond to a question about writing, reading, murder and mayhem.Question of the Week:

As a writer, what do you make of readers who flip to the end and see what happens last first?

Join the Community

Mondays with Susan

Susan C. Shea debuts a new series, a French village mystery, Love & Death in Burgundy in spring 2017 (St. Martin's Minotaur). The third in her Dani O'Rourke series came out in Feb. 2016. She lives in Marin County, CA.

Mondays with Terry

Terry Shames writes the Macavity Award-winning Samuel Craddock series, set in small-town Texas. In 2015 BookPeople dubbed her one of the top five Texas mystery authors.

Tuesdays with RM

RM Greenaway has worked in nightclubs, darkrooms, and courthouses. She writes the B.C. BLUES crime series, featuring RCMP detectives Leith and Dion. Her first novel COLD GIRL, winner of the 2014 Arthur Ellis Unhanged award, will be released 26 March 2016.

Tuesdays with R.J.

R.J. Harlick is the author of the acclaimed Meg Harris mystery series set in the wilds of Quebec. Her love for Canada’s untamed wilds is the inspiration for her series. The 4th book, Arctic Blue Death, was a finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel.

Wednesdays with Cathy

Cathy Ace writes the globe-trotting Cait Morgan Mysteries, (Bony Blithe winner 2015 - Agatha’s Canadian cousin), and the WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries, set in her native Wales. She lives in rural British Columbia.

Wednesdays with Dietrich

Dietrich Kalteis is the award-winning author of Ride the Lightning, The Deadbeat Club, Triggerfish and House of Blazes. His newly completed novels, Zero Avenue and Poughkeepsie Shuffle are slated for release in 2017 through his publisher ECW Press. Nearly fifty of his short stories have been published internationally, and his screenplay Between Jobs is a past-finalist in the Los Angeles Screenplay Festival. He lives with his family in West Vancouver, British Columbia and is currently working on his next novel.

Thursdays with Catriona

Catriona McPherson is the Anthony, Agatha, Macavity, IndieFab and Lefty winning author of the DANDY GILVER series set in Scotland in the 1920s, as well as two darker stand-alones AS SHE LEFT IT and THE DAY SHE DIED. Catriona lives in northern California with a black cat and a scientist.

Thursdays with Jim

James W. Ziskin (Jim to his friends) is the author of the Edgar-, Anthony-, Barry-, Lefty-, and Macavity-nominated Ellie Stone Mysteries. He's 6'2", weighs 200 pounds, and writes like a girl.

Fridays with Paul

Paul D. Marks pulled a gun on the LAPD...and lived to tell about. A former "script doctor," Paul's novel WHITE HEAT is a 2013 SHAMUS AWARD WINNER. Publishers Weekly calls WHITE HEAT a "taut crime yarn." Paul is also the author of over thirty published short stories in a variety of genres, including several award winners. GHOSTS OF BUNKER HILL, from the 12/16 Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, was voted #1 in the 2016 Ellery Queen Readers Poll.

Fridays with Danny

Danny Gardner's work has appeared in Beat to a Pulp, Out of the Gutter, and Literary Orphans Journal. His first novel, A NEGRO AND AN OFAY, will be released May 2017 by Down And Out Books. His short fiction will be featured in JUST TO WATCH HIM DIE, a Johnny Cash inspired anthology, published by Gutter Books in Winter 2016.